


Rain's Voice

by EliotByNight



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Kinda, M/M, Rain, Strangers to Lovers, but the love thing is just slightly present at the end, more like how to save a life, trigger warning: suicide thoughts!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-07 23:28:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21466288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EliotByNight/pseuds/EliotByNight
Summary: "That's when he heard it.Two seconds passed since he heard the sound, then Sehun stopped. He was staring at the sidewalk below him and could see the river from behind the iron gratings; he was on a bridge that he had crossed many times. But what he was hearing was no longer just the sound of the rain, it wasn’t the water flowing fast in the distance, nor the noise of the traffic, his feet in the puddles or his troublesome thoughts.It was a voice. A song."
Relationships: Lu Han/Oh Sehun
Kudos: 13





	Rain's Voice

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Rain's Voice](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/535525) by Eliot ByNight. 

After all, Sehun didn’t mind the rain. He appreciated its sound and smell, as well as the bluish-grey aura that covered the city every time it rained for long. Perhaps he was the only one in his family and group of friends who enjoyed the artistic deepness of the rain and he wasn’t really bothered if he had to go out while raining.

He walked tight in his big shoulders, wrapped in an old coat, on his way back from university. He kept his head down under the umbrella, immersed in so many thoughts that, though distressing they could be, didn’t hurt him because the calm roar of the rain was enough to silence them. Although he didn't feel top-notch, Sehun was calm.

He just wanted something to make him a little happier than he could do on his own. He wanted something, but he didn't know what exactly. He was about to graduate, look for a job, go and live on his own, and yet he lacked something.

That's when he heard it.

Two seconds passed since he heard the sound, then Sehun stopped. He was staring at the sidewalk below him and could see the river from behind the iron gratings; he was on a bridge that he had crossed many times. But what he was hearing was no longer just the sound of the rain, it wasn’t the water flowing fast in the distance, nor the noise of the traffic, his feet in the puddles or his troublesome thoughts.

It was a voice. A song.

Sehun looked up and lifted the umbrella to see where the song came from. It was a little, far away and confused voice, but he wanted to hear more. He realized that the voice came from behind his shoulders and turned around.

There was a concrete pillar holding the bridge halfway up, reinforced with iron beams and other pieces of the same material. On a metal overhang was a boy with blond, damp hair, holding his hands behind the beams and his heels planted on the stone.  
It was incredible how Sehun realized where the boy was standing, only after memorizing his physical details in one second or so. The boy was singing with clear and sweet voice, but also shy and frightened.

Moved by nothing but pure curiosity, Sehun went back and approached the boy. He waited for him to stop singing, heard from no one but him as the traffic and crowd were too loud and the rain didn’t help. After a long moment of immobility, the blond boy gulped and looked down; Sehun pointed his eyes in the same direction and only saw the river flowing unstoppably.  
Maybe the boy wanted to jump, but even then, when he realized, Sehun stayed calm.

“Why are you singing?”

The boy jerked and stood better to the iron beams behind him, staring at him scared. He didn't expect anyone to notice or even talk to him. He thought his life would soon be over, unnoticed.

“You were singing, weren’t you?” continued Sehun, tilting his head after another long moment of silence.

The boy only had the strength to nod a couple of times, without calming his fear.

“Why were you singing? It's a good song.” said Sehun again, as if he was talking to a normal person. “Nobody will hear you from there.”

The boy gulped again and wondered what had prompted that young man to speak to him in such a way and at such a time.

“I-I know ...”

And he also wondered why he decided to listen and answer to him.

Sehun was not stupid. He immediately understood that this strange person would jump into the river and take his own life. However, his first thought was that such a beautiful voice would be wasted and his second thought was that even a beautiful face like that would be wasted anyway.

“Why don't you sing for me?” He proposed, hoping not to worry him.

The blonde guy actually didn't worry, but he was overwhelmingly surprised and couldn't say anything.

“I mean ...” Sehun quickly shook his head, reconsidering his words. “I don't know... we could have coffee. You sing and I'll... well, I'll listen.”

He never knew how providential those words would be. The boy stayed silent for a long moment, when every horrible thought about his life was silenced by the sound of the rain and the curious eyes of a stranger who had decided to talk to him suddenly.  
He weakly reached out to him and Sehun hastened to put the umbrella on the ground and help him down.

When the short-haired blond boy had his feet on the same sidewalk as Sehun, he took the umbrella again and used it to cover both of them. The boy stared at him, his eyes huge with surprise.  
Sehun was embarrassed at that insistent glance and lowered his own, beckoning him to go to the nearest cafe.  
It was such a small and simple gesture that neither of them fully realized its true greatness.

“You have a beautiful voice.”

The boy became smaller in his armchair, more than he already was, with his cup of coffee in his hands and eyes down.  
“Thank you.” He murmured before taking a hot sip.

Sehun smiled slightly and did the same. He could say he was proud: he had saved a life and a good snack at his trusted cafe was a good way to celebrate.

“What's your name?” He asked, looking at him from the other side of the table.

The blondie moved a wet strand of hair behind one ear. “Luhan.”

“My name is Sehun.” Sehun held his smile on his face and hoped to put him at ease. “Is the coffee good?”

Luhan nodded and continued to drink in a shy silence until he finished. Sehun didn't ask him any more questions and just looked at him, intrigued.

He'd never met anyone on the verge of committing suicide. Well, not that it was exactly the dream of his life ... but if he was looking for something that would make his day go by, he had definitely gotten bread for his teeth. Besides, Luhan was an interesting guy to watch and listen to. He couldn't get the melody he was singing on the bridge out of his head, but he had the feeling that if he asked him to sing it again, he wouldn't have accepted.

“How old are you?” He asked instead.

Without finding anything unusual in that request, Luhan murmured: “I'm twenty-four.”

Sehun opened his eyes wide, though small in his angular face. “Really?”

“Yes, why?” The boy imitated his expression, puzzled.

“Doesn't look like it. I would have called you a kid!”

Sehun realized too late what he said and hid in his shoulders with embarrassment. “Ah, sorry ...”

Luhan hinted a smile. It was very little, but he hadn’t made such one for long, even though Sehun didn't know it yet.

“Why, how old are you?” He asked then, curious.

“I'm twenty.”

“What?!” He exclaimed, leaning backwards in the chair. “That's not possible!”

Sehun laughed and Luhan did the same immediately afterwards. “We were born in the wrong bodies, maybe!”

“Yeah ...!”

Luhan felt his cheeks pull. For too long the muscles of his face had stood still, numbed by endless tears and missing smiles. It was like he was changing his skin and being reborn little by little.

“Do you go to college, Sehun?”

“Yes... I'm going to graduate next month.” He explained with a shy hand on the back of his head.

Still tight in his awe with his hands together on his knees and rigid posture, Luhan looked at him again in amazement. “Wow, congratulations.”

“And you, Luhan?”

Luhan suddenly hushed, bending his shoulders and lowering his eyes.

“I should have ... but it was long ago ...”

Sehun wasn't the best at talking tactfully, but he knew how to recognize when he was unaware of its existence to the point of mortifying someone, and that was just such a moment. He winked his forehead and squeezed his eyes, cursing mentally, and then just looked forward to see the gaze of the other, who had become sad.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

That whisper immediately made Luhan shiver with insecurity.

“I don't know if this is a good idea ... We don't know each other.”

Sehun sighed and made his eyes wander out of the window for a moment, without thinking of anything other than the raindrops that flowed over the glass and fell to the ground.

“Let’s say I have my reasons to stay here and listen to your story.” He said so calmly and safely, but at the same time as if he was suffering, and Luhan's uncertainty vanished like a cloud of breath on that rainy afternoon.

Luhan took a moment to collect the right words and then began to tell, little by little, everything that had led him to climb on the pillar of the bridge and sing a song to the wind, and then decide to jump into the river. Sehun didn’t miss a word, silently giving importance to every detail, as if he was listening to a fairy tale.

When it was late and they said goodbye to each other, they had both forgotten Luhan's song, but for now the sound of the rain around them was just as harmonious. Besides, it didn’t risk being suffocated by some shyness or fear.

Sehun often sat that way: bent slightly forward with his back, his chin protruding, his forehead wrinkled by concentration and his ears stretched out to listen.

He met Luhan some other times in that cafe, whether outside there was the warm sun in the morning or a sweet sunset that gave way to the lights of the city, and every time he was told something different, something happier, something that kept Luhan away from the dark thoughts that must have tortured him the first time Sehun had seen him.

Sehun soon began to tell things about himself as well, explaining that a degree wasn’t everything he wanted in life, that he didn't know what to do with his capability of being on his own and he was looking for something deeper. Luhan didn’t have the mental strength, nor did he know him well enough to give him some advice, but he could listen, just like Sehun did with him.

And then, when the weather became nicer and it felt natural to stand up and walk, from a simple coffee in a cafe they would drink a bubble tea, and from the huge armchairs in which they could sink they would go to the park benches and the bus seats, to give each time a different frame to their stories, to their little embarrassed laughter and to their silences.

Yet, when Luhan got off at his bus stop one evening, after spending an entire afternoon with Sehun, he realized that he had never really thanked him for saving his life and giving him his time.

With its repetitive water drawings, the large fountain in the middle of the campus attracted the glances of the students as they sped from anywhere to anywhere. Sehun had been staring at it for at least a minute, about the same amount of time that Luhan had spent staring at him.

What could he possibly tell him to show his infinite gratitude? No set of words would ever be enough.

Luhan had begun to consider the idea of resuming his studies, ever since he accompanied Sehun to fix his final bureaucratic issues for his graduation. He had felt again the curiosity and desire to learn, which he had lost over months and months of failures, tensions and violence in his family and a deep discouragement that had prompted him to think about suicide. Luhan had thought of moving alone, leaving his old life behind, and had gradually gotten contact back with his old friends.  
All this was thanks to Sehun, who with a simple shake of his shoulders, he had said "Why don’t you try again?".

And then there was one thing that Luhan had started doing again, something so important to him that it would make him shiver, if he thought about that day when he was going to take it to his grave.

At first it was a very light and low sound, almost impossible to hear, but then Luhan repeated it and Sehun turned to look at him.

Luhan began to sing. It was the same melody he had sung on the day they first met, but his tone was calmer and more relaxed. It even seemed like a different song, hearing how different the feelings behind it were, and Sehun listened to him in amazement, without moving or speaking, so as not to make him stop.

Luhan even smiled at one point. He closed his eyes and his head moved a little, dragged by the music he created himself, and Sehun found himself smiling in turn, taken by a total enchantment.

When Luhan came to an end, he bit a lip with shyness and looked at Sehun. It was like the music was still going on in their ears.

“Wow.” whispered Sehun slightly, with a broad smile.

Luhan blushed and pointed his eyes at the fountain to vent his enormous embarrassment.

“This... this was for you. To thank you for everything you've done for me.”

A long moment of silence passed and when Luhan looked back at Sehun to understand what his reaction was, he suddenly burst out laughing: Sehun had opened his eyes wide and his cheeks had taken on a very bright tone.

At Luhan’s laughter, Sehun covered his cheeks and most of his face with his hands, wishing to sink. 

“Tell me, before attacking my heart!” he exclaimed ironically, as Luhan wrapped his arms around his waist and kept laughing.

They were spending more and more time together. Luhan had slowly found many small reasons to keep on living, when he got up in the morning and when he went to sleep at night, and Sehun was always in his mind.

On the other hand, Sehun himself was experiencing his graduation nervousness. It was all set, even if he still couldn't make complete sense of his studies. The closer he got to graduation day, the less he knew what would happen next, if he was able to find a way to make himself a happy life. He was worried about his future and it took a worrying turn the day before the ceremony.

It was raining heavy.  
Luhan twisted his nose a little bit, holding the umbrella with two hands, because a few drops managed to touch him and it was very cold. He walked fast through the streets, avoiding the giant puddles and the clashes with other passers-by, proceeding to the place where Sehun had told to meet him.

When he was almost there, he slowed his pace.  
He was on the same bridge where they first met. How did he only realize only now?

And why was Sehun now leaning against the iron balustrade, with just the hood of a sweatshirt to protect him from the rain, with his eyes low and fixed on the river in flood?

“Sehun!” Luhan called him, approaching. “Sehun, are you all right?”

Sehun took a long breath and turned to face him. 

“Tomorrow's the big day.”

“Yeah, I know. I'll come and see you.”

Luhan gulped. He didn't like what he was seeing at all. Sehun's face had never been so marble, his eyes tiny and dark and his wide shoulders so small and hidden in his sweater.

“I'm not ready, Lu.” He confessed sadly. “I'm not... I don't- I don't know if...”

How bravely would he discuss a dissertation the next day, if he couldn't even find the right words to express how he was feeling?  
Sehun squeezed his eyes and took his head in his hands with frustration. It was enough for Luhan to stop breathing and extend one arm to hug Sehun, keeping the umbrella with the other hand.

“It's going to be all right, you'll see!” Luhan said. “You're ready. You'll certainly get a great score and you can celebrate as much as you want.”

“And then?” exclaimed Sehun, moving from the embrace and looking at him with anguish. “And then, what will I do? Everybody tells me I should go in one direction, and I'd like to get another one! What will I do, Luhan?”

Luhan placed his free hand on Sehun’s face, caressing his cold cheek, and the anxiety that made Sehun tremble disappeared suddenly.

Luhan mirrored himself in his dark eyes, grown bigger than ever by surprise, and spoke to him calmly, with the sound of rain framing his voice.

“This is your life, Sehun. You're the owner. You were able to reach an important milestone, even though this wasn’t your first choice. You’re able to do whatever you want of your future, you’re able to have your happiness. Do it, Sehun. I'll stay with you.”

With those last words, Luhan gently stroked his face and gave him a little reassuring smile.

It was funny how the situation had turned upside down in a matter of weeks and Sehun realized it suddenly. He raised his hand to touch Luhan's on his own face, nodded slowly and held it close for a very long minute, in silence.  
Luhan kept holding the umbrella for both of them, just moving his fingertips on Sehun’s cheek to react to his gesture, with a sweet smile.

They didn't know how long they stayed there, looking at each other in the rain. Sehun kept on thanking Luhan with his eyes, until he invited him to shelter himself from the bad weather at his home.

They spent the rest of the day together, watching movies to distract themselves from the graduation day and eating questionably healthy food. In the evening, Sehun shyly asked Luhan to stay over and he agreed, perhaps with too much enthusiasm – of course he was embarrassed later.

The elegant graduation clothes were ready on a chair and its owner was still staring at them with some concern. Luhan noticed and, without warning, took the courage to fight against shyness and climbed onto his bed where he was sitting.  
Cautiously, he placed himself in his lap to give him a hug. Sehun hugged him back shortly after without even much hesitation.

“Lu.”

“Hmm?”

Luhan had his head resting on his shoulder and waited for Sehun to turn around and look him in the face.

“You'll be there tomorrow, right?”

Even though he had told Sehun a thousand times already, Luhan nodded patiently and smiled a little.

“And you'll be there afterwards too?” Sehun whispered, trembling.

Luhan repeated the same gesture of that day, gently touching his face. 

“I'll always be there.”

For a second, just for a second, Sehun saw in his mind the fearful Luhan huddled in the cafe chair, an image in which he could now see himself, reflected in those sweet eyes. It was nice, after all, to feel like your life is saved by someone else.

He didn't know why he kissed him. Or rather, he couldn't say it on the spot.

All he knew was that it was the only way to describe his emotions and he couldn't even name them now, knowing how silent and innocent they were born over time.

Sehun put his lips on Luhan’s with a light touch and, when he was kissed back, he felt an enormous peace and understood that Luhan felt the same way.

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who's back after an eternal while (?)  
I hope to have more time to translate my works in the future. Meanwhile, here's a little cute hunhan thing, that I also hope you like. :')


End file.
